It’s never a good idea to waste a bases-loaded opportunity.

The Red Sox are painfully aware of that, as they entered Sunday’s series finale in Tampa hitting .143 (6 for 42) in such situations over their last 38 games – including 0 for 2 in Friday’s series opener – with just one extra base hit, one walk, two hit-by-pitches, and three sacrifice flies. (A far cry from their .586 average (17 for 29) in bases-loaded situations in the previous 54 games.)

Tack on another left-’em-loaded in Sunday’s first inning. And another in the fifth.

In total, the Red Sox left 10 men on base in a frustrating final meeting with their American League East rivals, who bested them 7-3 to avoid being swept at Steinbrenner Field.

The Rays punished them immediately. Eight Tampa Bay batters forced Connelly Early

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